Yellowknife (Jun 02/06) - It was very, very quiet in the room where 95 students competed in an international French grammar and spelling test, said Yellowknife participant Greg Huvenaars.

Ten-year-old Greg Huvenaars was the Western Canada and territorial champion of the Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation grammar and spelling competition held on May 21. - Jessica Gray/NNSL photo

But the Western Canada and territorial champion said he wasn't anxious about doing well. He has other things on his mind.

"I was concentrating too hard to be nervous," said the 10-year-old.

Huvenaars, a Grade 5 student from Ecole St. Joseph, got the chance to go to Montreal to represent the territories as a French immersion student in the Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation grammar and spelling competition held on May 21.

There were two categories students competed in - francophone and French immersion.

Student participants were asked to listen to sentences in French and write down what they heard - conjugated and spelled correctly in French.

The Grade 5 and 6 students got to listen to the passages three times and had a few minutes to revise work at the end of the test.

To get to the international competition, Huvenaars first had to win French grammar and spelling competitions in his class, against four other schools in Yellowknife, and then the territorial competition with students from the Yukon, Nunavut and NWT.

Huvenaars, who has been enroled in the French immersion program at St. Joe's since kindergarten, made quick work of the competition, landing him a spot in Montreal.

Though he didn't make top three, Huvenaars did win the western title - a pretty amazing feat for a 10-year-old, according to his father Mike.

The elder Huvenaars, assistant superintendent of business for Yellowknife Catholic Schools, said he was incredibly proud of his son's achievements.

"When Greg stood up on stage, it was a heart in your throat (moment)," said his father.

Mike said it was tough trying to help Greg study. Although Mike can read French, his pronunciation isn't great.

To prepare on his own, Greg brought home a 180-page book of French grammar and spelling instead.

His school is proud of Huvenaars' achievement as well.

"We're very happy for Greg," said one of the school's assistant principals, Yvonne Careen.

The Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation competition has been around for 15 years. Students from the United States and Senegal, Africa, also participated.